Â鶹´«Ã½

Sports

    • Canada goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe surprises by announcing retirement plans

    Canada's Stephanie Labbe during the women's international friendly soccer match between England and Canada at Bet365 stadium in Stoke on Trent, England, Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira) Canada's Stephanie Labbe during the women's international friendly soccer match between England and Canada at Bet365 stadium in Stoke on Trent, England, Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
    Share

    Stephanie Labbe, whose safe hands helped Canada to Olympic women's soccer gold in Tokyo last summer, has announced her retirement.

    The shock news comes just two days after Labbe finished runner-up for The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper.

    The 35-year-old from Stony Plain, Alta., who started the season with Sweden's FC Rosengard before transferring to Paris Saint-Germain in late August, was beaten out for the FIFA award by Chile's Christiane Endler (Paris Saint-Germain/Olympique Lyonnais).

    Labbe says she has left PSG and will call it quits this spring after the second half of the Canadian women's so-called “Celebration Tour.â€

    “That will be my official sendoff with the national team,†said Labbe, who has won 85 caps for Canada, with 43 clean sheets.

    Labbe said she had been thinking about her future for some time, with a decision coming in late November.

    “Honestly I woke up one day and it just hit me - I just knew in my heart that it was time,†she said in an interview. “I feel so confident in that, I feel so ready for what's next.

    “I really truly feel at this point that I've given everything to the game and I've invested my heart and soul into it and I just don't feel that I have anything left. And I feel so great about that. I really feel like I've left everything out there. I couldn't have asked for a better moment than to have finished my career on an Olympic gold medal and signing for one of the top clubs in the world.â€

    A rib injury forced Labbe out of Canada's opening game against host Japan at the Olympics. But she returned after missing one game, albeit playing in pain.

    The Canadian No. 1 became an iconic figure in Tokyo - grinning in goal during pressure-packed penalty shootout wins over Brazil and Sweden.

    While she still loves the game, Labbe says she no longer felt “that drive to want to go to training in order to really push herself to the maximum.â€

    “And for me, I've never been the type to do things half-ass.â€

    Plus, a spark was missing. She said the “rush of excitement†stepping on the field was fading.

    She leaves the Canadian goal in good hands with Erin McLeod (119 caps), Kailen Sheridan (16) and Sabrina D'Angelo (eight) - with Anna Karpenko, Rylee Foster and Devon Kerr among those waiting in the wings.

    “It's a bright, bright future for this team,†said Labbe. “I have no doubt about that. I'm super-excited to watch them all continue to grow and flourish. And I'm going to be their biggest cheerleader, their biggest support system.â€

    Labbe has also won praise for opening up about mental health, detailing difficult times in 2012, after the 2016 Rio Olympics and during the Tokyo Games.

    In 2012, she stepped away from the national team to focus on her club career rather than stress about her place in the Canadian pecking order. That meant missing the London Olympics, where Canada won bronze.

    After winning bronze at the 2016 Rio Games, the Olympic medal began to weigh her down with Labbe feeling people were more interested in it than her. In September 2017, the Washington Spirit announced Labbe was taking a medical leave for the remainder of the NWSL season.

    More recently, Labbe said she could not train for part of the Tokyo Games because of “high levels of anxiety and multiple panic attacks.â€

    She detailed the challenges she faced in a September essay titled “Winning the Olympics isn't enough to cure mental health†to help publicize FIFPRO's “Are You Ready To Talk†- a mental health awareness program from the organization representing 65,000 pro footballers worldwide.

    “I had no idea that this injury would trigger an underlying vulnerability in my mental state,†Labbe wrote. “My adrenalin was so heightened, and my neuromuscular system was so finely tuned that I struggled to come down between games, which resulted in high levels of anxiety and multiple panic attacks. It got to the point where I couldn't train between the quarters (quarterfinals) and the final because I was so overstimulated.â€

    Labbe said she “basically spent the 48 hours following the final lying in a dark room.â€

    At PSG, Labbe had been sharing goalkeeping duties with Germany Charlotte Voll and the Czech Republic's Barbora Votikova. Her last game was Dec. 16, a 6-0 win over Iceland's Breidablik in UEFA Champions League group play.

    Labbe is scheduled to return to Canada on Thursday with her fiancee, former Olympian Georgia Simmerling, and their dog Rio.

    “I know I want to continue to push the game forward in Canada,†Labbe said. “I want to, of course, continue to be a voice and push for a professional league in Canada on the women's side. I want to stay in the game in different ways, to continue to inspire young girls to stay in sport, to stay playing soccer.

    “I have a piece of my heart where I want to continue to get more Alberta girls on the national team. There's been few and far between over the years.â€

    Home is always close to her heart.

    Labbe's right arm, from shoulder to elbow, is a tattooed tribute to her native Alberta.

    The ink depicts the Rocky Mountains - “my happy place†- and spruce trees. A compass pointing north shows she is from northern Alberta. A wild rose, Alberta's provincial flower, is coiled around an anchor that reminds her to be grounded and know where you're from. Below a quote, “Be You Bravely,†provides words to live by.

    The word “Free†is inked on her wrist. She calls it a reminder “that when I'm at my best, I'm free and I'm not thinking, I'm just able to be me and I'm just free.â€

    Labbe says she will take her time choosing her next adventure.

    “First and foremost, I want to enjoy these last couple of months of national team activity,†she said. “Just really take the time to reflect and be proud of what I've been able to accomplish … But I'm also really confident that opportunities will come and things will be there for me on the other side.

    “But right now I just want to enjoy this moment with my friends. my family, with the national team and have a proper celebration this spring.â€

    Starting a family with Simmerling down the line is also on the cards, with the couple looking at a wedding in the summer of 2023.

    Simmerling made history at Rio 2016 by becoming the first Canadian athlete to compete in a different sport at each of three different Olympic Games. She made her Olympic debut in alpine skiing at Vancouver 2010, competed in ski cross in Sochi in 2014 and track cycling's team pursuit at both the Rio and Tokyo Games.

    Simmerling retired after Tokyo, where her team pursuit squad finished fourth in Canadian-record time.

    Labbe played collegiate soccer at the University of Connecticut, starting her professional career in 2009 in Sweden, playing for Pitea IF and then KIF Orebro DFF before returning to North America in 2014 to join Washington.

    In March 2018, she signed for the Calgary Foothills, a men's team. But league rules prevented her from playing.

    Labbe joined Sweden's Linkopings FC before returning to the U.S. to join the North Carolina Courage, winning the NWSL championship in 2019.

    ---

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2022.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

    Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

    Canada

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

    • The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    • A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province’s police watchdog.

    World

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair’s family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale—Langley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • LIVE

      LIVE

      Thousands of people are gathered in downtown Vancouver to observe the city’s 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • A suspect was arrested for allegedly brandishing a knife outside a Vancouver elementary school on Friday – just as the young students were heading home for the day.

    • Several hundred people gathered outside the Ontario legislature in Toronto to honour veterans and remember those who died fighting for their country.

    • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada’s largest city for a six-show run later this month.

    • A man believed to be in his 40s has been rushed to a trauma centre following a stabbing in downtown Toronto.

    • Calgarians will be observing Remembrance Day at a number of different ceremonies across the city, including at the Hangar Flight Museum.

    • July 2025 may seem like it’s in the distant future, but for the St. Luke playground committee time is ticking to fundraise the $340,000 they still need to build a new playground.

    • Getting out to the mountains is even easier with a new bus route from a growing Germany-based service.

    • Crowds gathered in Ottawa and eastern Ontario on Monday to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of Canada.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

    • After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats to a woman is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • With fewer interments and rising maintenance fees, the money for Canada's largest military cemetery will run out in three to four years.

    • Montreal Metro passengers can now flag a safety concern by texting a new phone number launched by the STM.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      This is shaping up to be one of the warmest Remembrance Days in the past decade, at least, for temperatures.

    • A local author is sharing his experience with alcoholism with the hope of helping other men improve their mental wellness.

    • Many Maritimers turned out in wet and windy weather Monday to remember those who have served, and continue to serve, in Canada's armed forces for Remembrance Day.

    • A Cape Breton senior recalls her life in German-occupied France, and her mother’s death, during the Second World War.

    • Thousand of people gathered at the Menin Gate in the Ypres, Belgium for Monday’s Remembrance Day Ceremony.

    • Remembrance Day is today, and a number of ceremonies are taking place around the province to honour those who gave their lives to serve our country.

    • A pillar in Canada’s history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

    • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

    • There will be two ceremonies taking place in Regina for Remembrance Day, hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book ‘War Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.’

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

    • The events will start at 10:15 a.m. with a parade that forms up in front of the Delta London Armories, marches east on Dundas Street and turns north onto Waterloo Street to Dufferin Avenue, the west to the Cenotaph.

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • A Barrie man is at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Environment Canada issued a weather alert for Barrie, Collingwood and surrounding areas, alerting residents about the wicked winds that are expected to pick up to 80 kilometres per hour in the afternoon hours.

    • Barrie residents gathered on Monday to honour Canada’s veterans and pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed for the country.

    • Representatives of the Windsor Veterans Memorial Services Committee, military representatives, wreath bearers, government officials, and members of the public will attend the Cenotaph at City Hall Square for the outdoor service.

    • Windsor Paralympic champion, Danielle Campo, has been crowned the number one Inspirational Speaker of the Year for 2024 at the Inspirational Speaking Finals.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½